A Guiding Angel
by Astro1
Summary: Melinda's running away and the only person who can stop her is her guiding angel.


Guiding  
  
Wind blew through her short brown hair as she wiped the single tear that slowly tricked down her face. Every muscle in her little 7-year-old body ached and the rhythmic motion of pedaling matched her wheezing breath. She felt around her backpack in sudden panic as she searched desperately for Mickey. With a sigh of relief, she touched the rough fabric of the buttoned overalls of the old, torn but very loved teddy bear. Her bike skidded to a halt and dropped instantly onto the grass field. She wiped away the steady stream of tears that now flowed freely as she climbed on top of the old wood fence post. Her red sneakers dangled high above the ground. The cold wind blew through her thin jacket as she shivered and hugged Mickey tighter.  
  
"Why can't I be normal like everyone else? I want to have friends. Nobody likes me. They say I'm weird because of my powers. They don't know I have them, mommy won't let me tell anyone, but they know that I'm different. I don't want to be different anymore. I can't go home, I want to go where I can have friends. I don't want to be a witch anymore, I just want to be a little girl." Her voice wavered in the wind as she shared her pain with her only friend, Mickey.  
  
Her thoughts were interrupted as a cool drop of water hit her nose. She quickly pulled her hood up and jumped off the fence into a mud puddle as the rain began to fall all around her. Making sure that Mickey was safe and dry inside her backpack, she picked her bike up and forcefully pushed it through the thick mud. She began to pedal as fast as her tired legs could go when she reached the dirt road again. The rain drizzled down her nose as she stuck her tongue out to catch the falling raindrops. She liked the rain. It made everything clean, new and fresh again. It made a new start.  
  
She turned her attention back to the seemingly never-ending road in front of her, now blurred as the rain fell even harder. It was hard to tell where the road was and where it ended. Suddenly, her bike jerked to the side as the flat ground beneath her turned stony. The tires went out of control as she swerved to avoid a large rock that appeared in front of her. She tried to regain control of the bike, but instead felt herself begin to fall towards the ground. The world turned to darkness as she slammed down on to the muddy ground.  
  
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She slowly opened her eyes to the vibrant white light that surrounded her. A white-cloaked figure stood over her. The figure slowly removed its hood to reveal a beautiful brown haired woman.  
  
"Melinda," the figure said quietly as she reached down and helped the little girl to her feet. Melinda instantly recognized the woman as her Aunt Prue.  
  
"Am I dead?" Melinda asked in fear as she gripped tightly to Prue's outstretched hand.  
  
"No, but you almost were. Mel, why are you running away? Your mommy and daddy miss you very much." Prue bent down to Melinda's level and tucked her wet hair behind her ear. Melinda bit her lip as she tried to hold back the tears that she knew were coming. One single tear traced its way down her face, as she still gripped onto Prue's hand.  
  
"I don't have any friends and I don't want to be magic anymore." Melinda said quietly as Prue pulled her sobbing niece into a hug.  
  
"Melinda. Magic is a part of you. You can't run from it. It's hard sometimes but in the end it's worth it hunny." Prue said as she pulled back and placed Melinda onto her lap.  
  
"No! I don't want it anymore. Magic doesn't do anything. Nobody likes magic. Nobody likes me." Melinda muttered as she rested her head against Prue's shoulder. Prue's heart broke as she saw the pain and suffering in Melinda's eyes.  
  
"Do you want to see all the good magic does?" Prue asked with a smile as Melinda looked up at her hesitantly.  
  
"I'll show you," She said as she flickered her fingers. Melinda looked in wonder as the white mist that surrounded them changed and the manor came into view.  
  
"Remember this Mel? You saved the day by reading that spell. You saved that little boy's life from the demon. He would be dead if you didn't have your magic." Prue said as she tapped Melinda on the nose. Melinda smiled a little and reluctantly nodded.  
  
Prue smiled back and snapped her fingers as the scene changed once again to Cole's underworld cave. Melinda held onto Prue tightly as she watched as Phoebe throw a potion at Cole.  
  
"You see Mel, Cole was evil until Phoebe and her good magic came along and changed him. Imagine Phoebe without Cole! Without magic, they would never be happy." Prue said as she looked at the little girl's puzzled expression.  
  
Prue's fingers snapped again and the manor reappeared. Melinda watched in fascination as Piper opened the door to see Leo standing there with a rose. She smiled and pulled him into a kiss. Prue smiled to herself and laughed as she watched Melinda make an eww face.  
  
"Your mom and daddy wouldn't have met if there wasn't magic. You wouldn't want that to happen would you? Think of your mommy all alone. And…"Prue snapped her fingers once again. This time, a hospital room came into view. Piper held a newborn Melinda in her arms with Leo right by her side.  
  
"Mel, without magic, you wouldn't exist." Prue said as Melinda looked deep into Prue's eyes. Melinda nodded and Prue knew her job was done, Melinda believed in magic again.  
  
"It's time for you to go, but before you do. I have something for you Mel." Prue said as she pulled out a bracelet from her pocket. Melinda held out her small wrist and Prue placed the perfectly fitting golden bracelet on.  
  
"Bye Aunt Prue," Melinda said as Prue hugged her one last time. Prue watched as Melinda disappeared out of view.  
  
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"I love you Melinda. Remember, I'm always with you." Prue's voice rung through Melinda's head as she glanced around at her surroundings. She glanced at her bike a few metres away. She slowly sat up and wiped the mud off her jeans. It was all a dream. She must have hit her head and blacked out. Melinda brushed the mud of Mickey and placed him safely back in her backpack. She pulled her bike out the mud and found the road again. She looked at the road. One direction was to a place unknown and the other direction was back to home. She caught a glimpse of something shiny on her wrist and looked down. The golden bracelet sparkled in the sun. Melinda smiled as she looked up at the sky. She looked at back over Mickey and agreed with his opinion.  
  
"Home we go," Melinda said as she rode off on the dirt path. 


End file.
